Memories
by StupidBolts
Summary: TFP. Arcee shares memories from before the war during their drive over Cybertron. Episode 2 of season 2.


Jack's dark eyes darted over the charred landscape of Cybertron. They slightly reminded him of Ghost towns he'd seen in countless cheesy Western movies, and half expected some cyber cowboy phantom to start hooting, or ghost cattle to trample over them. But the rumble of Arcee's engine was comforting to say the least; the way she swerved and turned was an excellent example of just how well she remembered this place.

Cybertron's roads were mostly made up of long bridges looming over seemingly bottomless caverns, gargantuan buildings and towers leaning over head, and it made him wonder what it looked like before the war. Cybertron must've been beautiful.

"You know, I remember driving down these roads when I was a Sparkling!" Arcee chuckled bitterly. "I used to race my friends down here, all the way to the Primary."

"Primary?"

"I think humans call it a church." So Cybertron had it's religions too. Comforting how there were at least _some_ similarities between their races. "It was always so glorious, I used to purposely lose just so I could watch the sun rise a little longer. You would've loved it Jack."

"I don't doubt it." Jack smiled behind his helmet, then glanced to his right. He tried to imagine a sun peeking over the charcoal black horizon, reflecting off chrome surfaces and glittering like a pristine lake. But... he could not. "I'm so sorry... it must be hard seeing your home like this."

"It is... it's even harder remembering how it _used_ to be." How many happy memories of a beautiful, advanced planet did the little femme have? Many, he assumed, and because of the war they'd all gone up in smoke. "You see that tower over there?"

"The one with the broken off satellite?"

"Yeah, Bulkhead and Wheeljack used to live there. It was a big military base for all the top warriors; that included the Wreckers." He could sense a warm tingle in her voice. "One time when I was driving with my friend Firestar, I looked up and saw them partying on the balcony."

"Must've given you quite a scare."

"It was at first, especially when they started cat-calling us." Lewd gestures and harassment. Yet more similarities between humans and Cybertronians. "Firestar was such a hot head; she transformed and began yelling at them at the edge of the bridge." Arcee laughed heartily, making Jack smile. Laughing wasn't something he'd heard his partner do very often. "Bulkhead had actually tried to apologies, but Wheeljack and Breakdown kept making it worse."

"Breakdown was a Wrecker?"

"He was. But Knock Out is very... 'persuasive', as Bulkhead put it." A silence only interrupted by the growl of her engines hung between them.

"... How did that meeting end?"

"Bulkhead and another Wrecker called Springer dragged Wheeljack and Breakdown away from the balcony, and I had to convince Firestar to come down from the bridge support so we could get to class on time." There was that warmness again.

"Bridge support?"

"She'd been threatening to climb up and give them a piece of her mind." She paused. "Come to think of it, does that description remind you of anyone?" Jack laughed, thinking of the little Asian girl in their team back at base.

The key card glowed slightly, and the took a slight left.

"The ditch there use to be an Energon lake." She explained after Jack had pointed it out. "We used to go there during Aestate to cool down."

"Aestate?"

"Oh, that's Summer on Cybertron. It was a lot hotter than on Earth; Cybertron was closer to it's sun." She smiled to herself in vehicle mode, remembering herself playing in the lake with her friends and brother. She remembered how she'd first met Cliffjumper there, acting all macho to impress the femmes, only to be shoved into the Energon by his friend Sideswipe.

"So you swam in Energon, as well as consume it?"

"You drink water as well as swim, cook and bathe in it." He nodded.

"Was there sand?"

"Sort of. It wasn't finely ground glass, just finely ground metal. Heh, I remember Firestar and I once buried Ariel while she was recharging. When she woke up, she screamed so loud all the lifeguards came running to see what was wrong!" Again, that laughter.

Jack smiled at the dried up pit; the Energon in it must have been used in the war. This planet made his usually moody partner gleeful and happy. He just wished he restore it to it's former glory for her.

"I met Orion Pax at the Archives over there." She gestured with her wing mirror to the right. A building he was sure was the size of an Earth city towering over them; shattered glass was dotted between the frames, and lights were smashed around them. It must've looked incredible, back in the day. "I'd been returning a bunch of datapads I'd borrowed for studying for a test, about fifty of them I think, and as I went through the door we crashed into each other."

"Heh, happens to me all the time at the library."

"I've noticed. Though instead of laughing at me, he was apologising continuously!" She giggled. "It was kind of sweet, and he helped me pick up all the pads and return them as well."

"Huh, a gentleman back then too, eh?"

"Definitely. Though afterwards..."

"... Afterwards?"

"Megatronus came looking for him. He was waiting at the doorway." She sounded solemn.

"Was that... bad, back then?"

"No, but I'd be lying if I said... that he wasn't... attractive." She sighed guiltily. "He used to have such pretty blue optics, and a really dashing smile. Not twisted and dark like it is now."

"Oh..."

"He'd been quite a gentleman too, or at least acted like one."

"Heh, chatting you up was he?"

"Kind of. But Orion Pax got annoyed, said goodbye, then shoved him out the door and dragged him away." Jack chuckled. "It looked funny; tiny Orion pushing tall Megatronus."

"Like Raf shoving me?"

"More like Raf shoving Agent Fowler." Jack laughed. "I still remember Megatronus yelling; 'I'm sorry madam, my mothering unit isn't letting me out to play!'" They both found themselves in a long winded laughter, just driving along and giggling to each other.

"Megatron once had a sense of humour, I see, I see..."

"Yeah... it was... a shame when he'd went mad with jealousy. Those pretty blue optics going red..." There was a mournful tone in her voice. "But... I wonder how it felt for Ori- Optimus..."

"Whadya mean?"

"You remember how Optimus referred to Megatron; a brother. They were friends, _best_ friends! I mean, imagine if Bumblebee became a Decepticon, where would that leave Raf?" Destroyed. That's where; perhaps he'd be in denial at first and try to get Bee back, but if that ever really happened... "I can't even imagine..."

"... Was Firestar your best friend?"

"She was. She always knew how to make me smile."

"What happened to her... if you want to say...?"

"Shockwave. High ranking Decepticon guardian officer. Wasn't pretty for anyone."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too... I could've saved her, but we were kids and... no, there's no excuse; I was a coward. I just stayed hidden like she told me while Shockwave..."

"You don't have to say it."

"Thanks..."

A glowing in his pocket caught his attention, and he pulled out the key. He stared at it as it flourished.

"That way." He said.

"Toward Kaon?" The Decepticon city glared from the shadows of Cybertron, just _daring_ them to come any closer.

"The Decepticon capital," He recalled. "Swell." They slowed to a stop at the beginning of a long bridge into Kaon. Jack recognised it from the visuals Bumblebee sent them after entering Megatron's mind, though it lacked that golden lustre.

"We're on foot from here." Arcee muttered as Jack stepped to the ground. "Don't want engine noise to attract the wrong kind of attention." She explained, transforming and pointing her gun around urgently.

"Decepticons?"

"_Vermin._"


End file.
